Water plug



Jan. 19,1926. 1,570,180

' l W. Z. PULLIAM l WATERYPLUG- Filed July 16, 1925 Y 'l "www W witness j( -ca Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED 1j STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- WILMAMy z. PULLIAM, or Los ANGELES, cALIFoRNA.

WATER PLUG.

Application filed July 1e, 1925 seriai No. 44,069,

'l' Angeles, in the county vof Los Angeles and State of,lCalifor`nia, `have invented certain new and useful Improvements `in Water Plugs; and I do ydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact dcscription'of the i invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. j

My invention relates to'improvements'in water plugs used along city streets for street washing and fire fighting purposes, and has reference more particularly to a plug which will not be broken if struck by a machine or other vehicle, but will merely swing downwardly about a pivot.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive, yetY an efficient construction fo-r the production of a plug, of the improved type setforth.

TWith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described. and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure l is a side elevation showing the plug in erect position in full lines and by dotted lines disclosing the manner in which the plug may swing if struck.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view partly in elevation.

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 aredetail perspective views of the different elements used in establishing a ball and socket joint bet-Ween tle plug body and the plug base.

In the drawing above briefly described, which illustrates the preferred form of construction, the numeral l designates a base having a substantially hemispherical t,

socket 2 in its upper end, said base being provided with a water supply port 3 leading to said socket. At the upper end.of the base, an annular outstanding flange 4 is provided.

A plug body 5 is formed with a spherical lower end 6 resting in the socket 2, said body having a water port 7 which normally registers with the port 3. When the plug body however is tilted downwardly, the port 7 is moved out of register with the port 3, so that even if said body should be broken, no discharge of water can take place.

Engaging the upper side of the spherical end 6, throughout about two-thirds of its circumference, is a substantially semi-circular hood 8 having an outstanding base flange 9 which is secured by bolts 10 to the flange 4, the upper end of said hood being provided with a substantially semi-circularupstanding flange 11 in which the lower portion of the body normally seats to hold it in an upright position and prevent it from pulling outwardly toward the street, when a hose Vis applied to it.

' An arcuate plate 12 is secured byboltsl to the portion of the flange 4 not covered by the flange 9, so that the inner edge of the plate and the inner side of the hood 8 cooperate in snugly holding the ball 6 in the socket 2, at the same time permitting swinging of the body 5 and said ball 6, if the body is struck by a vehicle in the street. When such swinging occurs, the port 7 is moved out of register with the port 3 so as to preveut discharge of water from the plug, even if 'the latter has been injured by the force of the blow which caused it to swing laterally and downwardly.

Excellent results may be obtained from the general construction shown and described and it is therefore preferably followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, modification may of course be made.

I claim:

l. A hose-feeding water plug comprising a base adapted to be stationarily mounted at one edge of a street, and a normally upright plug body pivotally connected with said base for downward swinging if struck a blow by a vehicle on the street, the pivotal connection between said plug body and said base comprising a joint permitting downward swinging of said body on any of a plurality of paths according to the direction in which the blow is delivered, said plug body and base having communicating water ports.

2. A structure as specified in claim l; and means embodied in the plug structure for automatically cutting off communication between said ports when the plug body swings downwardly on any of said paths.

3. A hose-feeding water plug comprising a base adapted to be stationarily mounted at one edge of a street, a normally upright plug body pivotally connected with said base for downward swinging iffstruck a blow by a vehicle on the street, the pivotal connection between said plug body and said base com prising a joint permitting downward swingingl ci said body on any of a plurality of paths according to the direction in which the blow is delivered,` said plug body and base having communicating water ports, means embodied in the plug structure for automatically'cutting olf communication between said ports when the plug body swings downwardly on any of the aforesaid paths, and means for preventing swinging of the plug body toward the street under the pull of a hose.

4. A hose-feeding water plug comprising a base' adapted for stationarily mounting at one edge of a street, said base having at its upper end a substantially hemi-spherical socket to which a water port leads and being formed with an outstanding annular iange around said socket, a normally upright plug body having a substantially spherical lower end resting tightly in said socket, an arcuate hood engaging the street side of said spherical end of said body, the lower edge of said hood having an outstanding flange secured to a portion of the first-named flange, the upper edge of said hood being provided with an arcuate seat engaging the street side of the plug over its spherical lower end to prevent swinging of said plug body1 toward the street under the pull of a hose, and an arcuate retaining plate secured to the flange .of the base and engaging the spherical lower end of the body tov (zo-operate with the hood in retaining the base and body in assembled relation while permitting said body7 to swing downwardly away from the street if struck by a vehicle on the latter, said plug body having a water port normally in communication with the first-named port but brcught out of communication therewith by downward swinging of the plug body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afxed my signature.

WILLIAM Z. PULLIAM. 

